Be Genuine and Follow Your Heart
- US IMG
- Step 1 : 194 [Third Attempt]
- Step 2 CK : 224
- Step 2 CS : Pass
Here’s the success story of an IMG with multiple attempts at step 1 and low board scores who knew she had to form genuine connections and a sincere personal statement to get her match in Family Medicine!
Hi Dr. Barone!!
Hope you’re doing well! I wanted to send you my match story because I’ve been sooo encouraged and inspired by stories you’ve posted in past years so I couldn’t wait for the year to come when I could finally share mine.
I started medical school in January 2015 at a Caribbean med school. Things were a bit rocky in the basic sciences years and I ended up having to repeat a semester but I made it off eventually. I took Step 1 3 times and didn’t pass it until the third time when I took a Kaplan course in NY and that’s when I met you for the first time. That Step 1 journey almost broke me down completely, but I made it through and learned so much about my study skills and what I needed to do to start my studying process during clinical years.
Thankfully third and fourth year went well for me probably cuz I was so scarred from how basic sciences went, and I passed CK and CS on the first attempt! Going through interview season I knew I had an uphill battle to face with the scarlet letter of my step attempts on my transcript. I didn’t even know if I would get a single interview. I cast a really broad net though and applied to 297 programs because for me the investment was well worth it to give myself the best shot. I ended up getting 12 precious interviews and treated them all like my babies! I found out I matched on Monday and I’ll see where Friday as you know, and my heart couldn’t be any fuller. There aren’t enough words to describe how blessed I feel and grateful for the journey cuz looking back now the struggle was well worth it!
C. D.
March 18, 2021
Dr. Barone : “Congratulations! What specialty did you apply to and match in?”
I applied strictly to family medicine because honestly, that’s what I’ve always wanted. Primary care has my heart.
Dr. Barone: “After 2 attempts on the USMLE what did you do to make it thru on the last attempt and what would you have wanted to know about the process that might have saved you some attempts?
I think I learned the biggest studying lesson actually after step 1! My foundation was pretty weak in basic sciences and I didn’t know how to synthesize all of the information and apply it appropriately, so by the time I was even taking the Kaplan course there were so many “lightbulb moments” that I should have had when I was just studying from the beginning.
I’d say the most practical lesson I learned that helped me with CK was being honest with myself about the material I was learning right from the beginning and would gradually learn material and test myself to make sure I was retaining and able to apply it. By the time I finished all my clerkships I felt like I had a solid foundation so when I took another Kaplan course for CK it felt more like I was “reviewing” and not trying to learn things from scratch.
Dr. Barone : “Most importantly, with the red flags, what do you think made you successful in getting your match?”
As far as my red flags, I think the biggest helpful thing that helped me get my foot in the door with interview invites was probably my sincere personal statement as well as a TA position I had with my university during my gap year. During all of my interviews I truly formed genuine connections with everyone because I was honestly just being true to myself. I gave it my all and poured out my heart passionately with every question. I truly love family medicine and had a compelling story to share about my connection with the specialty as well as my personal story in general that I wrote strongly about in my PS.
I only had a couple programs ask about my red flags but not in a malignant way, and for the ones that didn’t I brought it up and used it as my strength and genuinely learned from it since I truly bounced back..
I really hope that someone can be inspired or encouraged by my story and know that there is hope and light at the end of the tunnel even when things seem to be so discouraging. Never give up yourself!
Photo Credit: ©2018 Aziz Acharki Unsplash.com